Re: Chess evolves...

On Oct 16, 11:47 pm, "M Winther" <m...@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Ever heard of Spassky and Tal and their creations on the chessboard?

And then there's Petrosian.

Your comments on Chinese Chess in another post are interesting. People
have said that Chinese Chess is an even more profound game than the
Chess we're familiar with.

Except for the Cannon, the complement of pieces in Chinese Chess is
that of Western Chess, before the powers of the Bishop and the Queen
were increased. With five Pawns that don't have the unique properties
that make the Pawn "the soul" of our Chess, and with two Firzans and
the King confined to a small area, on the surface, Chinese Chess
doesn't _look_ promising, and so few in the West have investigated it
to any great degree.

Instead, Shogi has attracted interest, because of its feature of
drops; but while that reduces draws, apparently Shogi is less profound
than Western Chess, and thus, perhaps unlike Chinese Chess, it seems
to be a dead end as an alternative.

Chinese Chess lacks the solid wall of pawns in front - and the King's
limitation in motion makes it more vulnerable as well. That could
easily be why it doesn't favor dull defensive play, but if it is also
deep and profound, the explanation of how it manages that will be of
interest.

John Savard
.